(The Center Square) – Last month, the Snohomish Police Department issued a statement telling people not to call 911 in response to initiative signature gatherers operating outside stores such as Fred Meyer and Safeway.

Many of the 9-11 callers reported to the nonemergency line such activities as trespassing, but others expressed concerned about nature of the initiatives themselves.

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“I just have a big problem with people up front petitioning and causing a disturbance for something that’s so crappy, basically. I just have a problem with what they’re petitioning for,” one woman told Snohomish 911.

“It’s really disturbing what he’s asking signatures for,” another caller told Snohomish 911.

Prior stories by The Center Square reported at least 32 incidents involving intimidation, threats, destruction of property and physical assaults connected to Let’s Go Washington’s efforts to gather signatures for their initiatives regarding parental rights and transgender athletes since the organization started gathering signatures on Sept. 22.

On Sept 29, the Snohomish PD posted a Facebook statement instructing people to not call Snohomish 911’s emergency line to report initiative signature gatherers.

Records obtained by The Center Square revealed that numerous individuals working either at a store or a self-described customer called Snohomish 911’s nonemergency line to report signature gatherers for being on the property ostensibly against the consent of the store managers, who they claimed already contacted the police and received no response.

However, some of the callers also expressed non-criminal reasons for calling, with one person telling Snohomish 911: “I don’t have patience for people who spout hate.”

According to one Snohomish 911 call transcript, an individual called the non-emergency line to report “some racist rhetoric…and homophobic.”

“”What he is doing is hate against trans people,” one 911 caller said about a signature gatherer.

Another 911 caller reported initiative signature gatherers operating in public space in Edmonds, claiming they were obstructing traffic and people’s ability to walk on the sidewalk. According to the 911 transcript, the caller said they were “collecting signatures without a permit.”

However, the police report noted that “officer stood by and observed them and did not see traffic issues. RP [respondent] understood not being able to trespass people from public areas.”

Snohomish PD police reports obtained through the public records request revealed that officers are refusing to trespass initiative signature gatherers per the guidance of the Snohomish Prosecutor’s Office.

One Snohomish PD officer wrote that a “suspect”  was “gathering legit signatures for an initiative related to protecting girls sports. He was cordial with me and we had a good discussion about how signature gathering was a constitutionally protected 1st Amendment right. I contacted the store employees and advised them that the signature gatherer was leaving on his own accord and that our department would likely not have trespassed him from the location unless he was obstructing customer traffic from moving freely in and out of the store.”

Another Snohomish PD officer’s report showed that someone had called 911 on signature gatherers because “these political agendas are being thrown in kids’ faces.”

The officer wrote “I explained to the RP [respondent] that the activity is not illegal and that there was a response to Fred Meyer yesterday in person. Also explained to the RP about how what they are doing is protected by the courts and Fred Meyer was given the steps they needed to take in order for LE [law enforcement] to have the ability to deal with the issue legally.”

In one incident outside the Mountlake Terrace Safeway, a signature initiative gatherer was allegedly verbally harassed and had her table flipped over. When Snohomish PD responded and told the signature gatherer to call them if anything else happened, she told the officers that “she would never call ‘you guys’ (in a polite way).”

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When The Center Square reached out to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office for comment, Chief of Staff Michael C. Held wrote that “initiative signature gathering is a protected activity under the Washington State Constitution and the First Amendment of the Federal Constitution. First Amendment rights are zealously protected by the courts. Citizens may gather signatures in the common areas of shopping malls and on private property (such as grocery stores or chains) under certain circumstances.”

He also wrote that “whether such circumstance exists at a particular store or chain involves considering multiple factors related to the business, activity and location. A court is in the best position to weigh these factors and determine whether signature activity is permitted. If Fred Meyer wishes to obtain a court order restraining initiative signature gatherers from soliciting signatures on their property, they certainly can do so, at which time law enforcement can trespass them for violating the court order.”